For the first two days of our sail to Timor we had 20+ knots of wind and with just the poled out cutter and two reefs in the main, we averaged a bit more than seven knots. The boat tossed about a lot as the swell came more on the beam and waves occasionally give us a little 'nudge' side wards. Then the wind eased and with the headsail and full main out, we then had 24 hours of gentle cruising with the boat doing 3-6 knots and gliding along. The breeze died and we motored all the next night and expected to motor the remaining 300 miles as many boats before us had done.
As luck would have it the wind picked up and we had a good day of 7-8 knots in long comfortable swells. We passed a drilling ship at anchor in 400 metres of water in the Timor gap area and that was the only ship spotted until we sighted Timor. We motored the final night along the north coast of Timor to Dili as the wind was too fickle - it would bullet down at 25 knots then disappear completely. We were very watchful for fishing boats but only saw a couple who were well lit.
We covered the 700 miles to Dili in just on five days. The early morning run along the coast was very nice with the steep mountain sides and small villages dotted along the ridges. The final approach takes you past the huge statue of Christ on a headland forming the eastern end of the harbour. Built by Indonesia to show their acceptance of religious diversity, it was erected at an obscene cost while the people here were being persecuted. Its height was of 27 metres represented East Timor as the 27th province of Indonesia and is aimed to face Jakarta.
The chart for Dili harbour was out to the west by 1/4 mile which was a reminder of the need to check visual against chart all the time in these waters. We anchored in the small harbour created by two reefs amongst seven other yachts. The anchorage was rolly and could only be described as OK. It was great to see Peter & Flavia, off Sampaguita. The last time we had last seen them was in Gizo last November. 
We weren't sure what to expect when we arrived. We found the place much larger than we'd imagined, especially after the small dusty back waters in PNG and the Solomon's. The city surrounds the harbour and is dominated by two floating hotels tied up to the shore. There is a potentially beautiful waterfront with huge fig trees along the shoreline, and old Portuguese buildings facing the shore. Some of these have been repaired and restored and are beautiful. Others are burnt out shells, reminding you of the tortured past of this country.
The town centre is busy and like an Indonesian town with hawkers, little trolley carts selling drinks, noodles and cigarettes everywhere. Lots of motor bikes, taxis who beep at you to ask you if you want a ride and many, many UN vehicles and other official vehicles. Most of the signs are in Portuguese or Tetum which are the official and national languages. Many of the educated classes were taught in Portugal and the colonial links are strong.
On the 20th August it was Falantil Day. This was the day the pro-independence forces started to wage war on the Indonesian backed forces 25 years ago. I watched a group of several hundred march through the street in their fatigues and with pride in their eyes. To think that these people fought a guerrilla war for 22 years in the mountains and now have to search out a normal life again. Some were only teenagers when it started and have known no other family.
Peter's brother in law, Hamish, is the British Ambassador here and he drove us around much of the town and let us use the embassy's washing machine and we had dinner and lunch with them. I helped him with a computer problem and while I worked, a large photograph of the Queen at her desk looked down to keep an eye on me. Dinner was with some friends of their's who were military staff and the conversation was intriguing as they discussed the complexities of assisting this emerging nation.
We finished our stay in Dili with a drive out to the Rio De Janeiro like statue of Christ on the headland at the eastern end of the harbour. Walking the 600 stairs past the stations of the cross you get a spectacular view under the loom of this 27 metre high statue.
The local people we met were kind, and tolerant of our lack of language skills. We went to the wrong passport office when we arrived, and I waited an hour and a half for service (only to find an office across the road who fixed us up in ten minutes). During our wait with forty odd other people I realised how good natured they are. There was joking and happy banter as a official looked like they were heading for the counter to serve us, only to go through another door. No anger or frustration, just patience and humour.After visiting East Timor we will listen carefully to news from there, and hope that there can be peace and prosperity for these kind hearted people. They will need lot of the patience and humour I witnessed in that office.
So now we moved on to Indonesia.
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